


Bondless

by VenneFl0wers



Category: Loveless
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fanfic, Fanfiction, Gen, Loveless - Freeform, Loveless Fanfic, Loveless Fanfiction, M/M, Other, Spell Battles (Loveless)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29283687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VenneFl0wers/pseuds/VenneFl0wers
Summary: A Fighter and a Sacrifice, thought destined to never find each other until fate is beaten. Now they have to face what happens next.





	1. True Name

_"My true name?"_

_"Yes. That is your true name, Rei."_

A true name, a beautiful thing to have but also a thing that could bring confusion. No one knew what a true name was, not even Rei himself. Was it a nickname of sort or was it something deeper than that? Something to cling onto, to hold closely, and give it a small meaning. Or a meaning so big and great, no one could even compare to it. The stories of Beloved, Loveless, and more were always intriguing to hear. Rei thought that, maybe someday, he could have a true name.

A true name like Beloved or Dreamless. Breathless maybe. So much thoughts rushed around Rei's head, he couldn't contain himself. He wondered if he, too, would have a bond. A bond like the famous Soubi and Ritsuka's. A connection that is worth it, a connection that is forever. Some Units say that it's a blessing but some also say it's a curse. Probably because some never found their destined partner.

It was understandable. Rei wouldn't be able to handle it if that were to be the same for him, but how would someone like him know? He couldn't see the future and if he could, he would take the chance, truth be told.

_"This is Daichi. He's going to be your fighter starting today._ "

_"My fighter? Is... He Bondless too?"_

The memory seemed fresh within the back of his mind still. Silently, Rei remembered as that day came back to him.

_"No. He is not."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Daichi is a blank. However, he can be the Fighter for any Sacrifice. So we're assigning him to you."_

Rei looked at Daichi. The smile that the blank gave him was so empty and hollow. It felt wrong. This was wrong. This was all wrong.

Everything about this was _wrong._

Rei ran out of the room, he didn't stop until his legs gave out, making it to his dorm. He was back in the safety of his room but it didn't help that the tears and sobs still escaped from him.

A blank. A blank Fighter given to a named Sacrifice. It was too good to be true, he felt foolish for even thinking about how his Fighter would have looked like. Sounded like. Act like. He gasped, closing his eyes while shaking.

_Bondless._

What a cruel, _cruel world_ for a Sacrifice without a bond like the other Units.


	2. A Fresh Start

The school bell rang, students walked in and out of classrooms as well with some walking down the halls. Rei gripped onto his backpack, eyes glancing around his new high school. He was getting used to the area but he was anxious about the new area. Violet hues looked at the paper once more to see where his class would be, but if one thing gave him comfort, it was the fact Ichigo would be here too.

"Rei-kun!"

Rei looked behind himself, seeing the pink-haired girl who waved. Her tail wagging happily, her emerald green eyes brightened up seeing the other. A wide grin formed on Rei's face, seeing his closest friend standing there. Relief washing over the brunette male, turning around to face her now as he called out to her.

"Ichigo-chan!"

Rei ran head first into Ichigo's arms and hugged her tightly. Ichigo was a source of comfort back at the Academy and up to now, she still was. It always the two of them and it continued to be that way. But they didn't mind, at least the mutual support was enough for the time being. But however, Rei and Ichigo knew they would open up to other people soon enough.

"Find your classes yet?" She asked.

Rei shook his head, "Not yet, it's a little hard to find."

"I get that," Ichigo smiled as her ears twitched. "I could help you search for it, Rei-kun."

Rei's face beamed, tail peeking up happily. He was really glad that Ichigo was here. "I would love that, Ichigo-chan!"

Ichigo took Rei's paper and studied it for a while, ears perked up before turning her attention to the male. "I think I know where it is! It's not too far from mine, so that's good."

Ichigo began walking, leading him down the hall to search for his class. Eyes scanned the doors and the numbers on top before coming across their destination, peeking in through the door to see the empty classroom.

"Oh wow... It's different from what I expected." Rei muttered, turning his focus to different parts of the room such as the posters that hung up on the wall and the empty desks.

"Different from the Academy, I guess." Ichigo blinked, looking at Rei as an ear twitched, handing Rei his paper back who gratefully accepted it back.

"You could say that."

Ichigo smiled, "Well, good thing is, my classroom is down the left at the end of the hall. So we'll be close!"

"Really?" Rei's ears rose up. He was happy knowing that she would be near him and not anywhere far. It eased his anxiety and fear of being separated from person he cared so much for, especially since Ichigo was the only person back at the Academy that he was ever really close to.

"Yeah, come on, I'll show you!" She walked down the hall's left side as Rei followed behind.

Ichigo pointed to the classroom she would be in, facing Rei. "This is where I am going to be."

Rei looked up at the homeroom number, studying it before nodding. He turned his attention to the pinkette with a smile, "Alright, got it!"

Ichigo giggled softly, she felt good whenever Rei was happy. She knew he didn't like being separated from her and especially after the incident back then at the Academy.

The school bell rang again, it was time for class to start and it was time for their first day to start. Rei's ears lowered slightly, something that Ichigo took notice to. She gave a look of reassurance. "It'll be okay, Rei-kun."

The brunette glanced at her, giving a tiny grin. He felt a little better with that. "Okay."

He began going towards his class, waving to Ichigo as she entered inside her homeroom. Rei looked from left to right as he saw students walk past by, ears twitching while gripping onto his backpack once again. As he saw the name of his classroom come up once again, the male quickly walked over before he could be considered late to class.

An amber-haired male came up to the door, his ocean blue eyes had a gentle warmth to them. "Hello, are you Kosai Rei? You must be new to the school, my name is Kazuko-sensei." He held out his hand. Rei gave a nod to the male. He took hold of his hand and smiles. "Hello. And thanks."

"You're welcome. I'll let the students settle down first and we'll get right to your introduction." He gave a smile, leading him into the class. Rei followed the male teacher inside, seeing all the students look to front after taking notice to him walking inside.

"Hello class. We have a new student joining us today, his name is Kosai Rei." Kazuko-sensei said, quickly writing Rei's full name on the chalkboard. Rei nodded as a hello, waiting until the adult male spoke again. "Let's all treat him with respect."

Seeing an empty seat near the window, Kazuko-sensei motioned for the brunette to make his way over which he did, sitting down at his assigned seat. One of the female students glanced over to greet Rei that sat next to him, smiling.

"Oh my god. You're Rei Kosai? You're so cute! Welcome to class, I'm glad you made it!" The red-haired female grinned, fixing her purple glasses slightly.

"Yeah," Rei chuckled. "Didn't wanna be late."

The brunette male then noticed another girl with pastel blue hair. "I'm Kira Tsukimoto! Looks like we're in the same class. The one you just talked to is Mirai. Pay no mind to her, she'll think _any_ guy is cute." Kira chuckled.

"Okay girls, give him time to relax. He's just starting here." Kazuko-sensei called out, seeing the two girls interacting with Rei. He placed his book on english poetry down, standing up as he began writing on the chalkboard. Mirai grumbled, " _Fine_ , Sensei."

Rei blinked, cheeks flushed in embarrassment. He glanced down to hide his face, ears drooping a little. It was like that for a while until Kazuko-Sensei finished writing today's lesson.

It was Historic Science. Rei's weak point. The neko boy wrote down his notes, sometimes looking out the window. However, he listened closely to the lesson that transpired. Even though he hated the subject, he wanted to do good at least. Biting the inside of his cheek slightly, Rei focused on the notes.

"Kosai-san, can you answer the next question please?"

Rei froze, ears perked up as his tail frizzled. Violet purple eyes quickly focused on the adult that asked the question, his mouth open in slight shock. He stammered, before giving a quiet nod.

Kazuko-sensei looked down at the historical science book that he held in his hand, "Who first performed the experiment of flying a kite to draw down the 'electric fluid' of lightning?"

"U-Uhm..." Rei quickly looked into his notes, trying to find where the question was answered. "W-Was it in October of the year 1755 by... Priestley?"

"It was Franklin who did the experiment in June 1752, Priestley just accorded it. However, he did not do the experiment."

"Oh..." Rei's ears lowered.

"Thank you, Kosai-san." He continued his teachings, writing on the board again. Rei sighed, looking away and out the window saddened that he made a joke of himself on the first day for answering the question wrong. Mirai frowned a bit, taking notice to his expression.

"It's okay, Rei-san. You did great." She tried to reassure him, but Rei shook his head.

"So much for a fresh start..." He muttered before hiding his face into his notes.


	3. Movie Relaxation

Rei watched the school clock, waiting for the bell to ring. He just wanted to go home and do anything but think of how badly he failed on today's question. But right now, he needed Ichigo to help him calm down.

_Ding ding dong ding._

Rei bolted for Ichigo's classroom. He needed to go home with his favorite person after what happened today. Anyone would feel that way if they felt ashamed for getting a question wrong in front of the class, but not many could say the same for everyone.

Ichigo was already out of class, walking down the hall to get to Rei's class who suddenly leaped to hug her, wrapping his arms around the pink-haired neko. It took her a second but Ichigo got it, figuring out that it probably was the best to not ask. Instead, Ichigo just thought of another thing to ask him.

She beamed, tilting her head slightly, "Hey, Rei-kun."

"Hm?" Rei pulled away from Ichigo some, raising a brow as his tail swayed.

"Since we're both done with our first day of school, do you want to go home? I can tell you probably want to relax." She smiled, she knew Rei well, plus this was a different environment for the both of them at a normal school instead of the Seven Voices Academy.

It was understandable if Rei wanted to go home now, especially since this was new for him too. Rei nodded, already having the same thought in his mind. Ichigo smiled before she began walking, leading Rei as the two would make their way out of the school.

As they walked down the sidewalk from school, Rei's eyes looked around their surroundings. He's been cautious ever since they left the Academy, worried that Septimal Moon would want them back and were sending out their Units to look for them. Ichigo sensed it, patting his shoulder to calm him down, he still was cautious and on guard, however, the effort was appreciated.

The pinkette thought about topics to talk about, and of course, to lessen the tension and to distract Rei whenever he was anxious. They would talk about ice cream, restaurants they both enjoyed going to, activities that the two would plan out for the future and do again.

The walk home was the same as always, uneventful and peaceful, the two talking about what they were planning to do this evening. And what they had in mind for the weekend. It wasn't long until the two nekos made it to their two-bedroom apartment and started to unwind.

Ichigo put her backpack away along with Rei, looking over at the living room's television. She pondered for a moment, it was a movie day today and it would be nice to sit down on the couch with snacks, drinks, and a film. Ichigo would give a smile, ears perked up.

"Rei-kun, how do you feel about watching a movie?" She questioned.

Rei's tail flickered, looking at Ichigo. "A movie?"

"Yeah! Today _is_ a movie day, how about we do that after a first day?"

"I would like that, Ichigo-chan!" Rei _loved_ the idea. And movie days, knowing that today was his turn to pick out the film. He scurried over to their section of collection of movies, eyes scanning through as Ichigo made her way to the kitchen.

Ichigo grabbed snacks and drinks while Rei picked a DVD to watch. They made a great team like that.

But they both know they couldn't be the team they wanted to. They were both Sacrifices: One for Bondless and one for Affectionless.

But that didn't stop them from caring about one another, regardless of their names and status. Rei and Ichigo sat down on the couch together with popcorn, chips, and sodas. The movie was playing the beginning credits, so there was enough time for them to get anything else they would need before the movie began. Ichigo plopped herself back down on the couch, taking a small handful of popcorn to much on while she watched the movie.

Rei's ears moved into a position that read that he was relaxed, grabbing a chip to bite and eat every so often. Ichigo opened the can of soda, liking the sound the can always did, before taking a sip. The movie would continue to play, the two neko teens simply enjoying their time together.

After what seemed to be an hour of the movie playing, Ichigo and Rei drinking their drinks, and eating snacks still, there was a knock on the apartment door. Ichigo's right ear to twitch from hearing the noise. Rei perked up, knowing that it was their neighbor from next door.

"It's Kaori-san!"

Ichigo turned to Rei with a blink. "Furukawa-san?"

"Yeah!" He exclaimed, "She checks in on us this hour every day, remember?" Rei smiled brightly, taking a bite of a chip in his hand.

Ichigo pondered for a moment. It probably was their neighbor Kaori, but she wasn't sure since she would usually say greet herself when knocking. The pinkette called out curiously, wondering if it was Furukawa. "Yes?"

"Ichigo-chan, Rei-san," Kaori's voice came from the other side of the apartment's door, "It's me!"

Ichigo's ears rose up, excitedly running over to open the door. "Furukawa-san!"

With a quick swing to the door opening, she was met with the beautiful adult woman before her in her usual formal attire with her strawberry blonde hair in a messy bun. Her hazel hues eyeing both Rei and Ichigo who greeted her at the door. Kaori was an officer worker, working the job an accountant. She was busy at night sometimes but she checked in on the two nekos that lived together, by either text or call. They didn't mind it, they loved having her as a guardian in a way. Rei took notice to Kaori holding a grocery bag, tail wagging.

"Oh! You went shopping after work?" He asked the woman, looking up at her then back to the grocery bag to receive a nod from the woman.

"Furukawa-san, you shouldn't have!" The pink-haired girl's left ear gave a twitch. "Come in, come in!" She moved aside to let Kaori inside the apartment, letting her tail wag.

Kaori entered inside, taking noticing to the turned on television. "I take it today was the usual movie day for you two?"

"Yeah, we both thought it was well deserved after today." Ichigo mentioned with a beam on her face, walking besides Furukawa.

"I see, I can see that it was very needed. Whenever I got through my first day of school, I would come running home and eat a chocolate chip cookie as a victory." Kaori chuckled, setting the grocery bag on the counter top. She would walk to the fridge, opening it up and took a quick look to see what the two had. Milk, eggs, yogurt, a loaf of bread, and a box of blueberry muffins. A very good thing she went shopping.

The woman made her way back to the counter, beginning to take out the groceries she bought out of the bag. Rei's eyes widened, his tail perking up at the sight of the food that Kaori bought for them. His mouth could water but he was too giddy for that, so was Ichigo. The two nekos watched her take out cereal boxes, three wrapped up packages of raw meat, ramen, milk along with a chocolate flavor, orange juice, and more. They could barely count the amount of food they saw but it didn't matter. Kaori had bought them food to last them about three months or more, the appreciation they felt for her was intensely great. Ichigo ran to her after she had closed the fridge, wrapping her arms around her waist.

"Thank you _so_ much, Furukawa-san!" She nearly cried, letting her tail sway. Rei joined in on the hug, nuzzling into Kaori.

"Oh my," Kaori stumbled back slightly but her lips formed widely into a smile, hugging the two back. "I'm glad you two are happy."

"We are, we appreciate it _a lot_ , Kaori-san!" Rei faced Kaori with a grin, violet eyes gleaming.

"You're welcome, Rei-san." Kaori laughed gently, patting the brunette, ruffling the top of his hair. "Make sure you and Ichigo-chan eat good, alright?"

"Alright!"

"We will, Furukawa-san!"

The two replied in unison with two different responses. The hug ended between the three once a few seconds passed by, it was moments like this that made it worthwhile. Kaori took a quick glance at the watch on her wrist, looking at the time.

"Well, it's still the afternoon so you two can continue doing your movie day. I'll check in again on the evening." Kaori spoke.

"Sounds great to us, Kaori-san!" Rei replied, ears raised up.

Ichigo nodded. Kaori let out a small laugh, hugging the two again for brief moment before making her way towards the door. She would wave to the brunette and pinkette, smiling. Ichigo waved back along with Rei, waving until Kaori closed the door behind her.

Ichigo faced Rei, grinning. "Want to continue our movie day?"

Rei turned to look at Ichigo with a stare giving a blink, a small laugh escaping after a few seconds of quiet. "Are you kidding? Of course!"


	4. A Voice

"Rei-kun, hurry! We're almost there!"

Ichigo ran, gripping onto her backpack as Rei followed after with small pants escaping him. They had woken up late for school and were on the rush, Ichigo was busy finishing up her muffin while making sure not to eat too fast.

"Ichigo-chan, slow down!" Kosai cried out, panting while running next to the pinkette. Ichigo turned to look at Rei, giving a quick apology muffled from the muffin, swallowing her quick breakfast.

"Sorry, Rei-kun, I just don't want to be late to our second day!" Ichigo saw the school gates come into view, relief washing over her as she grabbed Rei's hand to drag him in quickly.

"Ah! Ichigo-chan!" The brunette was taken by surprise at the drag, ears perked up in surprise.

The two had made it inside the school building, both taking a quick stop to catch their breath. Rei quickly frowned, pouting as he faced Ichigo with a small frustrated and annoyed look.

"You didn't have to drag me in!" His tail frizzled up, ears back for a few before raising up with a followed twitch.

"Sorry, I didn't want to be late incase the bell rang..." Ichigo laughed silently, huffing and panting to catch her breath still. Her ears rose up, exhaling softly.

"I get it, it's okay but please don't rush so quickly, I could barely keep up." Rei muttered, ears lowered against his head. He could run but he wasn't as fast as Ichigo. She was very quick to making it to locations easier unlike him, which was a major difference between the two nekos.

"Sorry, Rei-kun." The pink-haired girl's emerald eyes gave him an apologetic gaze, bringing him into a quick hug. Rei blinked, sighing and returning the hug back.

The two pulled away, ending the closeness. Rei and Ichigo began walking, the both of them already heading to their respective classes before the bell rang. Rei's left ear twitched, glancing out the windows that he and Ichigo passed, looking at the morning sky and buildings far ahead before turning his attention to the front school gates, neighborhood houses, and more.

"Sure is a nice day, isn't it?" Ichigo asked, looking out as well with a beaming smile.

"Yeah... It is." Rei muttered under his breath, ears lowering.

_'Bond... Less...'_

Rei froze, ears raising up quickly in surprise. He looked left to right, almost pale. Did he just hear a voice? It couldn't be, he shook his head, his neko ears flattening against his head.

_'Bondless...!'_

A female's _voice_? He grit his teeth, maybe it was a headache kicking in or he was going crazy by hearing this voice repeat his true name. Ichigo had a look of concern, raising an eyebrow at him.

_'Bondless-!'_

Rei jumped a little, feeling Ichigo's hand on his shoulder. His ears raised up still, slowly facing her as if he had seen a ghost. He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Are you okay, Rei-kun?"

"Uh... Yeah. I guess I just remembered something." Which was a lie, but he didn't want to worry Ichigo more than she was already if he said he heard a voice of a girl calling out his true name. Ichigo stared for a moment, nodding slowly as if to say she believed him.

But in his eyes, she was still worried. Rei could see it, frowning a little. The school bell rang, sounding throughout the building.

"Ah...! It's time for class!" Ichigo quickly looked around their surroundings, definitely in the right hall. She quickly gave another hug to Rei before running to class. Rei sighed, smiling.

The brunette male began making his way to class, thinking back to the voice he heard. Was it someone trying to contact him? He couldn't tell what, but something inside his gut told him that it wasn't the last time that he would hear that voice. He walked over to his window seat once he entered inside Kazuko-sensei's class, sitting down as he took out his textbooks and notebook for notes. Maybe if Rei distracted himself from what he heard, he'll forget it.

_'Bondless!'_

Or he could jinx it. Rei let out a frustrated noise. He wasn't in the mood for hearing this girl's voice, but importantly, who was it?

 _'Hello? I'm speaking to you, Rei Kosai!'_ Her voice sounded annoyed, setting Rei off as he heard his full name said. He whispered to himself, making sure that no students heard him. And to make sure he wasn't going to be deemed a distraction to Sensei's teaching.

"How do you know my name...?"

_'Now you respond! Great! Well, I know who you are silly. Who else would be the Sacrifice known as Bondless?'_

"Sacrifice...? You know what I-?" He was cut off by her voice once more.

 _'Of course I know what you are, I could sense you yesterday.'_ A proud tone was heard.

"Yesterday?!" Rei hoarsely whispered, making sure not to bring any attention to himself as students walked in. "S-So you know I'm here?"

 _'Even Affectionless. I could sense her too. I'm surprised you can hear me! For someone who isn't connected with their Fighter... Also don't speak out loud,'_ Her tone shifted to a serious one. _'I don't want you getting caught in class.'_

"Good to know you care..." Rei muttered.

_'I'm not that mean to get you in trouble, Bondless.'_

"You have a point." The brunette whispered, ears lowered as he tried his hardest to focus, but nothing waorked. He huffed, violet eyes looking up at Kazuko-sensei who was taking attendance of the students here today.

"I can't do it..." Rei mumbled.

 _'Can't use telepathy to speak to me? Oh well, this is fine. I can hear you still even if it's just you whispering.'_ A laugh escaped her.

Rei rolled his eyes, "Can you just shut up and tell me why you're trying to speak to me?"

_'So serious and impatient... Oh, well fine. I'm reaching out to tell you to be careful.'_

"Careful? Why?" Confusion grew on the young Kosai's face, it was visible enough. But his heart raced. It couldn't be Septimal Moon, he knew he'd panic if that was the case.

 _'I could sense something yesterday, it was more different than what I felt from you and Affectionless.'_ The voice said sternly, making sure to list every detail she knew towards Bondless. _'It's not like anything I have ever felt before but it's stronger. I advise you take a shortcut with Affectionless home incase it is another Unit.'_

Rei gulped. He was afraid of that. The beats in his heart went faster, ears lowered as he bit the bottom of his lip. The urge to tell her that she was lying was there, but he couldn't do that. If this was another, _one of them_ with a true name then they could be helpful. And if that was true, the information that he was obtaining would keep, both him and Ichigo, safe from Septimal Moon. He knew he didn't want to go back, nor did Ichigo. Rei quickly thought to himself, panic rising up even more than it should be.

_'Bondless, are you okay? You haven't said anything.'_

Rei would grab onto his pencil, looking to see what Kazuko-sensei was doing. Taking notice that he already jotted down some words down for note taking today on Historical Science still. He grunted lowly, even if it was his worst subject, it will have to do. He could focus on that instead of the news he was hearing this voice. Mirai turned to see Rei, seeing the panicked purple eyes.

"Rei-san, are you okay?" She questioned in a whisper, ears peering back. "You don't look so good..."

_'Bondless, please answer me if you understand what I said. I know this is serious and you are having anxious thoughts about it, but I can promise that you two will be safe! Trust me, Bondless. You and Affectionless need-'_

"SHUT UP!"

The whole class stopped writing, turning their focus to an angry Rei. The pencil he had was slammed down onto his desk, trembling with furious rage, tears falling from his eyes. As he opened his eyes, Rei felt his heart drop seeing the faces of everyone there. Staring at him.

Kazuko-sensei eyed Rei with a look of concern, but he didn't appreciate the shout. Crossing his arms slowly, "Kosai-san, are you-?"

That was it. Rei ran from the classroom. He wanted to go to Ichigo, but they would both get in trouble and school had just begun. Instead Rei went to the closest bathroom, locking himself in a stall. Rei let himself cry but kept his volume in mind. He didn't want anyone to find him. Not now. Instead he hid his face, sitting on the lid of the toilet with his knees close to his chest, hugging himself.


	5. Devoted

Mirai stared at the door, ears flat against her head with a pout. "Was it something I said?"

"Don't be stupid, it's not because of you." Kira looked at her nonchalantly. "He's in a panic right now, that much is clear."

Mira thought for a moment. "Does he have anxiety? Maybe he's claustrophobic."

"No, it's not anxiety and it's surely not any regular panic attack, it's something more." Kira's raspberry red hues narrowed a little. If anything, she knew something was up with Rei. The bluenette thought for a moment, trying to investigate what happened.

Mirai turned around, glancing at Kira who sat at the back of her. She fixed her glasses again on her features, raising an eyebrow out of confusion. Kira knew what she was thinking.

"You're going to ask me if you think he's from Seven Voices Academy, Mirai. Am I correct?" She asked, leaning slightly onto her desk with her hands folded one on top of the other, her chin resting on top.

"I mean... Rei-san _did_ give off that feeling, right?" The redhead questioned.

Kira was silent, biting the inside of her cheek in a quick thought before responding to Mirai. "Even if he did, it was faint. But I _could_ sense it. So if you want your simple answer, yes."

Mirai grinned, "That's the Kira-chan I know! Good old simple answers!" Her tail wagged in excitement.

"I'm not a fan of simple answers, but whatever floats your boat." Kira sighed, taking notes still on what Kazuko-sensei did. "Do you think you can hand me over his notebook?"

Mirai blinked. She quickly nodded before reaching an arm out, grabbing the notebook and handing it over to Kira who accepted it.

"Thank you, Mirai." She gave a small smile, beginning to write on the notebook for Rei. While also writing on her own as well.

Ichigo was sitting in her classroom, learning about poetry in English. Today's lesson was about haikus, writing down the definition and notes of this particular subject. Her emerald hues glanced up to the female adult who taught English, feeling happy and safe in this environment. Especially with the students. After setting down her pink pencil, Ichigo leaned back slightly on her seat, smiling.

_'Affectionless, can... Hear me?'_

Ichigo blinked in quick surprise, sitting up almost immediately but quietly. A female's voice rang through her head, her tail flickering in response. The pink-haired neko girl took a slow look around her class, seeing everybody write and focus on their work. Everything seemed normal but confusion arose while questioning what she just heard inside her head.

 _'Affectionless!'_ The voice rang again inside Ichigo's head. She held a side, closing her eyes with a small grit to her teeth. She lowered her head on the desk, covering her face with her arms. It would cause less distraction to the class, and it would be easier for them to learn.

_'I know you can hear me! You're just like Bondless, I swear.'_

Ichigo stiffened. Bondless was Rei's true name. How did this mysterious voice know her and Rei? It could be a coincidence or a memory, but the pinkette knew she did not like this change of setting within her mind.

 _'Affectionless,'_ The female's voice was in a teasing tone, almost as if she was close to singing. _'I know this is new but can you please say something to me so I know you're hearing this?'_

Ichigo pondered for a moment. Could she whisper it underneath her breath or tap back in? She definitely sensed it, that was for sure. A quiet sigh left her, staying silent for a moment before tapping back to respond through a telepathic voice.

 _'I'm trying to learn, what is it that you want?'_ Ichigo responded with a serious yet soft tone. It had been a while since she done this but it looked like she didn't lose the touch.

_'Oh, you responded! Hey there, Affectionless.'_

Ichigo huffed, _'Just Ichigo is fine.'_

 _'Ah, alright. Ichigo it is then!'_ Her voice sounded perked up but also serious as well, at least Ichigo could tell that something needed to be said to her.

 _'Do you mind explaining what's going on?'_ Ichigo asked, not wanting to waste any time of course. She wanted to know why this voice was calling for her.

 _'You're insightful. But anyway, I need to warn you about a possible Unit nearby. Have you felt it?'_ The voice questioned Ichigo. _'It's strong, I can tell you that. But I can't say for sure who it is. I told Bondless but he went quiet. Figured since he wouldn't respond to me, I'd go to you.'_

Ichigo felt something drop. She began to feel sick, a stomachache kicking in while her ears would peer back. A shaky tone being heard, however, she tried to disguise it the best she could. _'What do you mean by that...?'_

Silence filled for a moment before gaining a reply. _'What I mean is that there is some enemy out there, wanting you and Bondless.'_

She clenched a fist slowly, the stomachache getting worse. Barely the second day of school and someone from Septimal Moon already wanted them. Just when they were finally free from that organization.

 _'Wanting me and Rei?'_ Ichigo's voice quivered. Words stuck in her throat, trying to find some way to speak. But she couldn't. No matter what she tried to think or say, she couldn't.

_'Yes. Trust me when I say, just avoid anyone looking suspicious or asking for you two. Take a shortcut when you go home from school today. It'll keep you and Bondless safe.'_

Ichigo's body almost curled up into a ball, her feet nearly up on her chair. Tail slowly wrapping her ankles, the fist getting tighter. _'How can I trust you?'_

 _'If you couldn't trust me, I wouldn't be telling you this information.'_ The voice snapped back a little in an attitude.

That was something Ichigo couldn't argue back with. But she needed more information. She needed to know who this person was, and she wasn't going to stop until she knew. _'Who are you?'_

 _'What is this? An interview? I feel like I'm being interrogated!'_ Her voice cried out.

 _'Just answer who you are or I don't trust you.'_ Ichigo remarked, slowly rising her head up.

 _'What'll happen if I do tell you?'_ The female's voice asked. She needed to know or else she wasn't going to say anything back either.

 _'I'll make sure your identity is safe,'_ Ichigo started. _'I won't tell a soul. It'll be safe with me and Rei. I promise. If you're a runaway like us from the Academy, then I know I can trust you. Is that a deal?'_

Silence again. Ichigo leaned back on her chair once more, waiting for a response from the telepathic voice. She knew that if this was someone that she could trust, they'd make themselves be known.

_'Fine, I'll tell you.'_

Ichigo smiled to herself in victory. _'Okay, so who are you?'_

There was silence once again, but Ichigo wasn't rushing her. She was going to let this person take her time, as much time as she needed.

_'My name is Devoted...'_

_'That's pretty, is that your true name?'_ Ichigo blinked.

_'Yes, it is. I am the Sacrifice for Devoted. But if you want a more... Personal introduction. I'm Mina Nanami. I go to the same school as you.'_

Mina Nanami. Ichigo blinked, ears twitching. She looked ahead at the board to see that there was more stuff written, quickly writing down her notes. The pink-haired neko got distracted by Devoted's talking, she nearly missed more on the lesson. But it didn't matter, there was another _Sacrifice_ with them in this school. Could there be more? Ichigo grew even more curious.

_'Then I take it you know me already. Though I'll still introduce myself. I'm Ichigo Hana.'_

_'Ichigo... Hana... Sounds pretty. I guess people nickname you Strawberry Flower?'_

She giggled quietly. _'Trust me, I wish. It's a pretty nickname. But no. I get called Ichi though.'_

Devoted let out a light laugh, _'Common.'_

Ichigo continued to write, while continuing to reply through telepathy. _'It's not that common.'_

_'Whatever, Affectionless. Do you think that you, me, and Bondless could meet up somewhere?'_

_'Sure... I guess meeting you in person would be nice.'_

_'Maybe after school? I could walk with you and Bondless, you know...'_ Mina said in a serious tone.

 _'I don't mind that at all, we could go somewhere to get a quick and get to know one another.'_ Ichigo replied, setting her pencil aside after finishing her notes.

_'That sounds good to me.'_

_'At least my stomach doesn't hurt anymore...'_ Ichigo chimed that in.

 _'Wait, I made your stomach hurt-? Nevermind, focus on your subject. We'll talk later!'_ And just like that, the voice left.

Ichigo sat in her seat, thinking to herself. So that was Devoted. Or most importantly, the Sacrifice _of_ Devoted. The pinkette's right ear twitched, her tail flickering gently. She sighed, letting that leave her mind for now before going back to focus on her class.


	6. Friendships

Rei had finished crying minutes ago, tear streaks visible to indicate that he has been. He walked over to the sink, sniffing softly before turning on the water to splash some on his face gently. Kaori always said that doing so helped sometimes to feel relaxed and refreshed, to his quick surprise, it did. His ears peered back with a smile, letting himself continue to relax before knowing it was time to go back to class.

The brunette strolled back to his classroom, giving a small gulp that everyone would stop to stare at him. The thought of them laughing at what he did entertained his mind, probably overthinking it but what does he know? Rei slid the door open, quietly making way in. The class _did_ stop to stare, but not to laugh at him though. He bit his bottom lip softly, looking down ashamed for what he had done.

"Kosai-san, are you doing okay?" Kazuko-sensei asked, concerned about his student.

Rei gave a quick blink, looking up at him. "Uh, well... I guess so..."

The older man nodded, "Very well. If you would like to, you can relax for most of the class. I'll copy the notes for you on paper and hand them to you if you'd like that."

Rei was quiet, smiling softly at the offer that Kazuko-sensei gave. It was sincere and genuine, he liked that. "I'd appreciate that."

"Very well then. You may be seated once again."

Rei made his way over back to his seat, sitting down on the chair. He laid his head down on the side, arms on the desk as he let out a soft exhale. Mirai's ears twitched, taking a glance over at the male. She smiled a little.

"I hope you're doing well, Rei-san." She spoke.

Rei's purple hues averted to her, tail flickering a little as his ears perked up slightly. "Oh. Well, thank you."

Mirai nodded with her smile still present. Kira would talk as well in the conversation between the two, "I did the notes for you, Kosai-san. I can let Sensei know that he doesn't need to do any, if you'd like me to."

Rei sat up a little, looking at Tsukimoto with a look of slight surprise. "You did? You didn't have to do that, really."

Kira shook her head, "It's alright. I can do them for the rest for the class as you rest."

It was almost as if Kira's personality switched to a perky girl to a calm and level-headed one. Was it just Rei's imagination? He blinked, ears raising up a little before a look of gratitude made way on his face. "Thank you."

Kira felt her cheeks flush shyly, not paying any mind to him now and continued to write down notes. Rei faced Mirai and gave a small silent laugh, at least he had two friends in this class.

The bell rang, lunch time. As the trio got their food, they made a small circle. Rei looked at his baked potato and corn on the side, taking tiny bites of it. Mirai drank her water while she enjoyed her cup of fruits, taking a bite of her mango. Kira sipped her box of apple juice, eating a bowl of white rice with broccoli, carrots, and two slices of bread. Munching away on the lunches, drinking their drinks afterwards.

"Oh man," Mirai breathed in a refreshed manner, grinning. "I like fruits so much."

"We can see that." Kira replied, slowly eating her rice. Her ears twitched gently before facing the side to look at Rei. "How is your food?"

Rei munched on his food still, "It's good. I never had baked potato before, I never knew it was so delicious!" He beamed brightly.

"I'm glad," Kira set her bowl down gently on her desk. "I love the bowls of white rice they serve. With their carrots and broccoli, the slices of bread for a side always make it better too. Not to mention the soy sauce for my lunch."

Rei's ears perked up. "Rice is nice."

Mirai laughed a little, fixing her glasses with an index finger. "You always love bowls of rice!"

Kira's ears twitched as they flattened against her head, taking a bite of her bread. "It's nutritious, for your knowledge."

Rei smiled, seeing the interaction between the two. It was always just him and Ichigo at the Academy, so he never thought of himself having any friends other than the pinkette. But this felt nice, just some friends. There was always nice people, like Kaori and people at the local shopping district that the two young nekos visited sometimes. They were people he considered to care for, deemed friendly but not friends. For Kaori, she was seen as their caretaker and the others were kind familiar faces.

It felt nice to have friends from school. _Maybe_ Kira and Mirai could be his friends. Probably for Ichigo too! The more he thought about it, the more excitement Rei felt and it showed. He continued to eat his lunch, biting on the corn while taking a sip from his carton of regular milk. Mirai and Kira noticed his expression, both not saying a word but grinned at that fact.

The hours passed by, the day went on smoothly like usual. Kazuko-sensei continued to teach until he took notice that it was almost time for school to end. Knowing it would be a good idea, he decided to let his students walk out of the classroom for a five minute break until the bell rang. Thus, dismissing them to walk down the hallways quietly but to not make a noise as some classes were still in session, reminding the group of kids to come back for their bags however.

Rei stretched, feeling it was deserved after he felt much better to take notes again. Even if Kira had to do most of them, it was not easy convincing her to not do them for him. But alas, he made through and got to her. As the brown-haired male walked out of his class, he went to see the view. Purple hues focusing on each building out there, along with taking a look at the ground from where he was.

_Beep beep beep. Beep beep beep._

Huh? A text?

Rei blinked. He reached into his sweater pocket to take out his phone, touching the screen to see who it was from. The second eyes saw the name, Rei's lips instantly formed into a smile. He felt glad to have gotten a text from Kaori, it was something he definitely needed too to end the day.

_Kaori: Hi Rei-san, I hope you're doing well! I just wanted to let you know that my boss gave me some vanilla ice cream, so we're having an ice cream night tonight. Good thing there's no school tomorrow!_

Rei looked at the text for a while. He likes ice cream. A lot. But ice cream with no toppings was a sin in his book.

_Rei: Ichigo and I can get syrups and toppings after school. You know how much I love caramel syrups on my ice cream._

_Kaori: That's great! I'll put money on both of your credit cards, there should be enough for anything else too. Take care, see you tonight!_

Rei smiled, thinking about the ice cream was a good thing, especially to help him forget of this bad morning. And he was already planning on what to get. Caramel especially.

Eventually, the school bell rang. School was now over, the brunette began to make way over before stopping. Rei remembered his bag was still in the classroom, he went back and grabbed it before finding Ichigo.


End file.
